A street festival, musical performances and moments of silence were held on Tuesday to honour George Floyd, whose death galvanised the racial justice movement and continues to bring calls for change.
The George Floyd Square, where George Floyd was killed, was packed with people dancing on the street. It is located at the intersection of East 38th street and the Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis.
The Square was transformed into an outdoor festival, with food, children’s activities and music. Artwork and signs from protests after Floyd’s death were also on display.
The celebration also included a candlelight vigil, capping several days of marches and rallies across the United States, as well as panel discussion about his death and confronting racial discrimination.
George Floyd’s sister and other family members attended an event at a downtown Minneapolis park. Dozens of people treated Floyd with deference, as they kneeled around a steel fist sculpture for several minutes – symbolising the 9 minutes and 29 seconds during which Floyd was actively dying as he was pinned down.
A moment of silence to honour Floyd was also held in New York, and a rally was held in Los Angeles.
In other cities across the globe, a rally took place in Germany, and Floyd’s death was marked by U.S embassies in Greece and Spain.
Other members of George Floyd’s family met in Washington with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who urged Congress to quickly pass a law in Floyd’s name that would bring changes to the current policing.
A family member of George Floyd:
The President and the Vice President met with the family for over an hour. I know the President was very personal because he got to know this family over the years and he wanted to check on them on today of all days to see how they were doing, to reiterate that they are still doing everything to make sure that his legacy is respected and that involves us going to meet with senators in just a few moments to continue to press forward for the George Floyd justice, an policing act that he says he is ready to sign any day.
George Floyd, who was a Black man, died on May 25 last year after then Police Officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. His death triggered massive protests around the world. “I can’t breathe”, which he said when he was gasping for air, became one of the protest slogans in the “Black Lives Matter” movement across the globe. Police have pledged to study the evidence available with a fine-tooth comb to make sure justice will be brought to Floyd.
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